Image-Worship does consist only in mens gross Notions about it yet we see under the Law to prevent and cure this God did not go about to rectifie their Opinions of these things but absolutely forbids the Worship of all Images and of any other Being but himself which methinks he would not have done had there been such great advantages in the Worship of Saints and Angels and Images as the Romanists pretend and when God in the Law of Moses forbad all Creature and Image-Worship can we think that Christ who came to make a more perfect Reformation should only change their Country-Gods into Saints and Angels and the Virgin Mary and give new names to their Statues and Images Which whatever he had taught about it instead of curing Idolatry had been to set up that same kind of Worship which the Law of Moses absolutely forbad and condemned as Idolatry When God to cure the Idolatrous Worship of inferiour Daemons as their Mediators and Advocates with the Supreme God sent his own Son into the World to be our Mediator can we think that he intended after this that we should worship Angels and Saints and the Virgin Mary as our Mediators When God has given us a visible Image of himself his Eternal and Incarnate Son whom we may worship and Adore did he still intend that we should worship material and sensible Images of Wood or Stone By the Incarnation of his own Son God did indeed take care to rectifie mens mistakes about Creature-Worship and to cut off all pretences for it Those who pleaded that vast distance between God and men and how unfit it was that Sinners should make their immediate approaches to the Supreme God and therefore worshipped inferiour Daemons as middle Beings between God and man have now no pretence for this since God has appointed his own Son to be our Mediator Those who worshipped Images as the visible Representations of an invisible God have now a visible Object of Worship a God Incarnate a God in the nature and likeness of a Man and though we do not now see him yet we have the notion of a visible God and Mediator to whom we can direct our Prayers in Heaven which is satisfaction enough even to men of more gross and material Imaginations without any artificial and senseless Representations of the Deity And was all this done that men might worship Creatures and Images without Idolatry or rather was it not done to cure mens inclinations to commit Idolatry with Creatures and Images Whoever believes that the Gospel of our Saviour was intended as a Remedy against Idolatry can never be perswaded that it allows the Worship of Saints and Images which if it be not Idolatry is so exactly like it in all external appearance that the allowance of it does not look like a proper cure for Idolatry SECT II. Concerning the great Love of GOD to Mankind and the Assurances of Pardon and Forgiveness which the Gospel gives to all Penitent Sinners which are much weakned by some Popish Doctrines 2. THE Gospel of Christ was intended to give the highest demonstration of God's Love to Mankind and the greatest possible Security to all humble penitent Sinners of the Forgiveness of their Sins Hence the Gospel is called the Grace of God and the Gospel of Grace as being a Dispensation of Love and Goodness and therefore whatever lessens and disparages the Gospel-Grace can be no Gospel-Doctrine As to consider this particularly The Gospel magnifies the Grace of God in giving his own Son for us God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 3 John 16. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 John 4.9 10. And St. Paul assures us that this is such a glorious manifestation of God's love as will not suffer us to doubt of any other expressions of his goodness He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 8 Rom. 32. So that the Gospel of our Saviour gives us much higher demonstrations of God's love and goodness than either the Light of Nature or the Law of Moses did Love is the prevailing Attribute of God under the Gospel-dispensation For God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4.16 Thus the Gospel of Christ gives a humble Penitent as great assurance of Pardon as his own guilty Fears can desire for Repentance and Remission of Sins is preached in the Name of Christ He has expiated our Sins by the Sacrifice of his Death God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life 5 Rom. 8 9 10. For as he was delivered for our Offences so he was raised again for our Justification And him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins 1 John 2.1 2. So that if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is able to save all them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 7 Heb. 25. These are the fundamental Doctrines of Christianity and therefore nothing can be a Gospel-Doctrine which weakens or overthrows them Let us then examine the Popish Doctrine of Purgatory and the Invocation of Saints and Angels as our Mediators with God and see how they are reconcileable with the Gospel notion of God's love and that security it gives us of Pardon through the Merits and Intercession of Christ 1. Let us consider the Doctrine of Purgatory which is but the outward Court or Region of Hell where the Punishments are as severe as in Hell itself only of a less continuance and yet as short as they are they may last many hundred nay thousand Years unless their Friends and the Priests be more merciful to them or they themselves have taken care before Death to pay the Price of their Redemption This is a barbarous Doctrine and so inconsistent with that mighty Love of God to penitent Sinners as it is represented in the Gospel of Christ that it is not reconcileable with any notion of Love and Goodness at all you may call it Justice you may call it Vengeance if you please but Love it is not or if it be it is such a Love as no man can distinguish from Hatred for my
part I declare I do not desire to be thus loved I should rather chuse to fall into nothing when I die than to endure a thousand Years torments to be happy for ever for Humane Nature cannot bear the Thoughts of that And is this that wonderful Love of God to Sinners which is so magnified in the Gospel to torment those who are Redeemed by the Bloud of Christ some hundred or thousand Years in the Fire of Purgatory which is not cooler than the Fire of Hell The Light of Nature I confess never taught this for Mankind never had any Notion of such an outragious Love they always thought that the Love of God consisted in doing good not in damning those whom he loves for so many Ages And if this be all the Discovery the Gospel has made of the Love of God we have no great reason to glory in it He who can believe that God who so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son for the Redemption of Sinners will torment a penitent Sinner so many Years in Purgatory till he has either endured the punishment of his Sins himself or is released by the Charity of his Friends or the Masses of some Mercenary Priests deserves to lie in Purgatory till he thinks more honourably of the divine goodness and be convinced that it is no such extravagant commendation of the love of God to send penitent Sinners to Purgatory There are two extravagant Notions whereon the Doctrine of Purgatory is founded which overthrow all the natural Notions men have of goodness and destroy all the hope and confidence of the most penitent sinners in the goodness of God. As 1. That God may forgive Sins and yet punish us for them for no man can go into Purgatory according to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome whose Sins are not already forgiven but though his Sins are forgiven he must make satisfaction for that temporal punishment which is due to them either in this World or in Purgatory Now how reconcilable these two are to forgive and to punish let all mankind judge I believe very few men think they are forgiven when they are punished for that which all men desire should be forgiven them is the punishment they have deserv'd What is it men are afraid of when they have sinned is it not that they shall be punished for it What is it men desire when they desire Pardon is it not that they may not be punished And is it any comfort to a Malefactor to be pardoned and to be hanged Does any man boast of his love and kindness or take any comfort in it who freely forgives him but exacts the payment of the Debt or the punishment of his fault And if this be so contrary to the very notion of goodness and forgiveness among men how comes it to be the notion of goodness and forgiveness in God How comes that to be love and goodness which the Sinner receives no benefit by for love and goodness I think signifies to do good or if this be goodness let those take comfort in it that can If it be said that it is an Act of goodness to exchange the Eternal Punishment of Hell which is due to Sin into the Temporal Punishment of Purgatory I grant this is something but only ask whether it would not have been a more perfect expression of love and goodness to have remitted the Temporal Punishment also of it may be some thousand years Torment in Purgatory whether this might not have been expected under a dispensation of the most perfect Love and from that God who sent his only begotten Son into the World to save Sinners Whether those sins are perfectly forgiven which shall be avenged tho' not with Eternal yet with long Temporal Punishments in the next World Whether any man thinks himself perfectly forgiven who is punished very severely tho' not absolutely according to his deserts And consequently whether the Doctrine of Purgatory be not a very great diminution of the Love of God and the Grace of the Gospel And whether that can be a true Gospel-Doctrine which represents the Love of God much less then the Love of a kind and good man who when he forgives the Injury forgives the whole Punishment of it Nay Whether that can be a Gospel-Doctrine which represents the Love of God less than infinite and I suppose an infinite Love may forgive true Penitents the whole Punishment of their Sins and then there is no need of Purgatory 2ly In Purgatory God does not only punish those whom he has pardoned but he punishes for no other reason but punishment-sake For thus the Roman Doctors tell us that the Souls in Purgatory are in a state of Pardon and in a state of Perfect Grace and they suffer the pains of Purgatory not to purge away any remains of Sin or to purifie and refine them and make them more fit for Heaven but only to bear the punishment due to Sin for which they had made no satisfaction while they lived Now I dare boldly affirm this is irreconcileable with any degree of Love and Goodness to make any Punishment just it must have respect to the guilt of sin to make it an act of goodness it must be intended for the reformation of the sinner but when sin is pardoned the guilt at least is taken away and therefore such punishments can have no relation to guilt and when the sinner is in a perfect state of Grace and needs no amendment such punishments can have no respect to the good and reformation of the sinner and therefore such punishments are neither just nor good and this is the exact Notion of Purgatory and methinks we should consider whether this agrees with that account the Gospel gives us of the love and goodness of God should a Prince have a Jayl of the same nature with Purgatory where for several years he torments those whom he pretends to have pardoned and who are grown very good men and good Subjects and need no correction or discipline I believe all the World would laugh at those who should call this love and goodness pardon and mercy Hell is very reconcileable with the goodness of God because it is prepared only for those who are the Objects of a just a righteous Vengeance and a very good God may be very just but Purgatory can never be reconciled with the superabundant goodness of God to sinners through Jesus Christ unless men think it a great kindness to suffer the pains of Hell for several Months Years or Ages for no reason which makes it either just or good to suffer them So that a Popish Purgatory is inconsistent with the belief of God's great Love and Goodness to sinners in Jesus Christ and destroys the hope and confidence of sinners for if they may lie in Purgatory for some thousand years as they may do notwithstanding the Love of God and the Merits of Christ if the Pope or the Priests or their Money be not
should make Prayer the condition of our receiving though he wants not our importunities to move him because there are a great many excellent Vertues exercised in Prayer such as great sorrow for Sin great humility of Mind faith in God's Promises the acts of Love and affiance and trust in God and a constant dependance on his Grace and Providence for all spiritual and temporal Blessings and there was great reason why he should command us to pray for others thô he wants none of our Intercessions for them because it is a mutual exercise of Charity of Love to our Brethren and Forgiveness to our Enemies and is a mighty obligation to do all other acts of kindness for those who know it to be their Duty to pray for one another will think themselves bound to do good to one another also This becomes those who live and converse together in this World because it is a great Instrument of Virtue and that is a reason why God should encourage the exercise of it by promising to hear our Prayers for each other But as far as meer goodness is concerned the Gospel represents God as so very good to Sinners that there is no need of any Intercessor for them For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life 3 John 16. This was an act of goodness antecedent to the Incarnation and Death of Christ and the highest act of goodness that God could manifest to the World and therefore secures us of God's love and goodness to Sinners without a Mediator and Advocate for that love which provided a Mediator for us was without one and proves that it was not for want of goodness or that he needed entreaties that he gave his Son to be our Mediator And therefore hence S. Paul proves how ready God is to bestow all good things on us He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 8 Rom. 32. And our Saviour himself represents the goodness of God by the tenderness and compassion of an earthly Parent If ye then being evil that is less good than God is know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him 7 Matth. 11. especially in the Parable of the Prodigal where our Saviour describes the goodness of God to sinners by that passion and joy wherewith the Father received his returning Prodigal nay he assures his Disciples that there was no need of his own Intercession to incline God to be good and kind to them At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father-himself loveth you because ye have loved me and believed that I came out from God 16 John 26 27. God is so infinitely good that he needs no Mediators or Intercessors to incline him to all acts of goodness but as he is the wise and just Governour of the World he requires a Sacrifice for Sin and a High-Priest to make Atonement for it and to intercede in vertue of the Sacrifice Such a Mediator Christ is who alone is both our Sacrifice and our Priest and therefore our only Mediator not to incline God to be good for that he was before infinitely good or else he had not given his Son to be our Sacrifice and our High-Priest but to make Atonement for our Sins and thereby to reconcile the exercise of God's goodness with his wisdom and justice in governing the World. Such a Mediator and High-Priest does not lessen the Divine goodness for the intention of his Mediation is not to make God good and kind but to make it wise and just in God to do good to Sinners but all other Mediators in Heaven whose business it is by Prayers and Entreaties and Interest and Favour to incline God to be good to such particular persons as they intercede for is a real disparagement to the Divine goodness as if he would not be good unless he were conquered by Entreaties and over-ruled by the prevailing Intercessions of some great Favourites and yet such Mediators as these the Saints and Angels and Virgin Mary are if they be Mediators at all and therefore to pray to them as to our Mediators argues such a diffidence and distrust of God's goodness as does not become the Gospel of our Saviour this can be no Gospel-Doctrine because it is irreconcileable with that account the Gospel gives us of the Love of God. 2. Nor is it less injurious to the Love of our Saviour to flie to the Prayers and Aids of Saints and Angels and the Virgin Mary her self I shall not now dispute what encroachment this is upon the Mediatorship of Christ to make our Addresses and Applications to other Mediators but whoever does so must either think that Christ wants Interest with God without the joynt Intercession of Saints and Angels or that he wants Kindness to us and either will not intercede for us at all or will not do it unless he be prevailed with by the Intercession of Saints or the Entreaties or the Commands of his Mother I suppose they will not pretend that he wants power to do what we ask of him when he himself has assured us That whatsoever we ask of the Father in his name he will give it us 15 John 16.16 John 23 24. Does our Mediator then need other Mediators to intercede with him for us What! he who became man for us who lived a laborious and afflicted life for us who loved us so as to give himself for us who is a merciful and compassionate High-Priest and touched with a feeling of our infirmities being in all things tempted like as we are yet without sin What a change does this make in the whole Gospel Had not the Church of Rome found out some better security for Sinners in the Mediation of Saints and Angels and the Blessed Virgin what a hopeless state had we been in For all that the Gospel tells us is That God in great love and goodness to Sinners sent his Son to be our Saviour and that we might have the greater assurance of his pity and compassion for us he became Man Flesh of our Flesh and Bone of our Bone and not only so but submitted to all the weaknesses and infirmities of our Natures to the greatest shame and reproach to the sharpest pains and the most infamous Death that he might the better know what our temptations and sufferings are in this World and might be more sensibly affected with our condition in all our sufferings This one would have thought should have given the greatest security to Sinners of his readiness to help them who did and suffered all this for them and this is the only security which the Gospel of our Saviour gives us But it seems